Sustainable development can’t happen while tragedies like Gaza continue to be perpetuated, Asif tells UN summit

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that no sustainable development can take place till “tragedies like Gaza are perpetuated by the developed world”.

His remarks regarding Israel’s onslaught on Gaza — which has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians — came at the start of his speech at the United Nations ‘Summit of the Future’ in New York, which is a part of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Asif is a member of the Pakistani contingent accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived in New York on Monday night for the summit.

Speaking at the summit, Asif said that the adoption of the ‘Pact for the Future’ is “an expression of our collective determination to respond to the global challenges of security and development that threaten the present and future generations”.

He noted that for more than 100 developing countries, the pact offers an opportunity to revitalise development and reform the unequal international financial and economic system.

“The pact will be transformative only if we translate the commitments undertaken into concrete action,” he said.

Asif said that in order to bridge the $4 trillion Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) financing gap, longstanding commitments to Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries must be fulfilled and the Secretary General’s SDG Stimulus proposal must be implemented.

Fifty per cent of the unused 2021 allocation of Sustainable Development Reports (SDRs) must be rechanneled, he added.

“[We must] deliver a bigger, better and more ambitious International Development Association by ensuring a robust $100 billion replenishment in December this year,” he said, before emphasising the need to increase the lending by multilateral development banks.

Other measures to bridge the SDG financing gap, he said, include lowering borrowing costs for developing countries; improving representation of developing countries in international financial institutions; reviewing sovereign debt architecture to make it more equitable and adopting an equitable international tax regime.

Another measure, he said, was reforming the World Trade Organisation to serve as a vehicle for export expansion and development through preferential treatment for developing countries and avoidance of new environmental protectionism.

“The UN, by virtue of its universal membership and mandate, remains an indispensable platform to propel and monitor implementation of these commitments,” Asif said.

He noted that bridging the digital divide would be the key to an equitable future.

“Pakistan welcomes the outcomes of the Global Digital Compact in this regard. We must bridge the North-South divide and prevent an East-West fragmentation of the digital space,” he said.

“We must ensure equitable data governance. And, we must capture and control the power of Artificial Intelligence.”

World peace impossible if Palestine, Kashmir issues not resolved: Tarar

Separately, Information Attaullah Tarar said durable world peace was not possible without a permanent resolution of the Palestine and Kashmir issues, state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Tarar, part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s delegation, was speaking to the media outside the UN headquarters in New York.

“We want an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and accountability of the aggressor Israel for war crimes and genocide being committed in Palestine”, he asserted.

“Genocide of armless Palestinians was being committed” in Gaza, APP quoted Tarar as saying, adding that he called upon the world to bring perpetrator Israel to justice.

Highlighting that PM Shehbaz had raised both the Palestine and Kashmir issues at all international fora, Tarar said the Kashmir issue would figure in the premier’s engagements at the UN this year too.

Speaking about Pakistan’s foreign relations, the information minister said the country’s “friends both in East and West were unhappy” after 2018, referring to when ex-premier Imran Khan came to power.

However, he added, the “warmth in relations with all friendly countries was restored and cooperation was showing serge”.

To a question, APP stated, Tarar said that during PM Shehbaz’s US visit, meetings will be held with doctors, bankers and representatives from various walks of life.